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WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Thursday approved the U.S. Navy’s plan to meet its requirement for 52 small warships by upgrading the coastal warships designed by Lockheed Martin Corp and Australia’s Austal, instead of starting from scratch with a more costly new design.

Hagel said he accepted the Navy’s recommendation to make the current ship designs more lethal and survivable by adding an array of missiles, radars and other equipment.

“The Navy’s new proposal, like the LCS, will continue to have its critics, but considering the context of our broader naval battle force and the current strategic and fiscal environment, I believe it represents our best and most cost effective option,” Hagel said in a statement.

via Pentagon Opts to Upgrade Littoral Combat Ship Design – gCaptain Maritime & Offshore News.

It was pretty much a forgone conclusion that Hagel, likely at the urging of Bob Work, would take this path of least resistance. And least return on investment. Everything about LCS has been PowerPoint promise driven. Why should that change now?

CDR Salamander has a nice rundown on the changes to come.